The monument to the great Tver traveler Afanasy Nikitin is the most impressive and beloved in Tver. He was the first of the Europeans to visit India from 1469 to 1472, walking thousands of kilometers. The famous Portuguese Vasco da Gama would only reach India by sea 30 years later. Nikitin's travel notes are considered the best and most detailed description of India, Persia, and the Ottoman Empire of that time.

Afanasy Nikitin, born into a peasant family, became a successful merchant with extensive connections. One of the main goals of his long journey was to explore new trade markets.

The monument to Nikitin is located on the Volga embankment, named in his honor, opposite the city garden. It was along this river that he set off on his distant journey, symbolized by the bow of a boat embedded in the stone rim around the pedestal. Afanasy Nikitin is depicted as a man with a thick beard and in a caftan, resolutely striding with a princely letter of protection in hand, which saved him from dangers more than once. A bag of gold hangs from his belt, emphasizing his trading intentions.

The height of the traveler’s figure is 4 meters, and the pedestal is of the same height.

The monument in Tver was unveiled in 1955. The project was created by architect G. A. Zakharova and sculptors A. P. Zavalov and S. M. Orlova. Inspired by Nikitin's story, Soviet filmmakers released the film "Walking for Three Seas" in 1958. A memorial plaque with information about his travels is installed on the monument. Behind the monument rises the white Church of the Three Confessors, adding a special picturesque quality to the panorama.